See, the thing is, I really want to participate in SecondLife, or something similar, but my video card is an intell (at least I think it is LOL)....I am not that impatient of a person, and I can wait a couple more years until I buy a new computer, but if it's inexpensive and easy with no complications, I would consider upgrading my video card....help me out here people!!!
2007-05-16 05:05:29 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
They are easy to upgrade IF your computer has a video card slot. Since you say your current graphics is Intel, it is almost certainly "integrated graphics" on your motherboard. Some motherboards with integrated graphics have a video card slot and some do not.
Open your case and find the 3 to 5 PCI slots near the bottom rear edge of your motherboard that are closest to the "expansion slots" in the back of the case that have the removable covers. Just above these, there may be a different slot for the graphics card. The long lower slot is PCI-express. The slot which is the same height as the others but further away from the back of the case is AGP.
If you don't have either of these, you can only use a PCI Graphics card. They are just OK for gaming but will free up the "shared memory" being used now and allow your computer to run faster.
Try to use the best interface available in your computer. If your motherboard (web seach for the model number printed on the board for details) has an AGP8x or a PCI-Express slot, get a graphics card with the correct interface.
Most stores will just try to sell you a PCI graphics card because they will work in any computer (without knowing what your motherboard supports) but they are slower and you won't get maximum performance
Good Luck!
2007-05-16 06:27:05 · answer #1 · answered by TahoeT 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The first guy is a moron, no matter what it is easy to replace a video card. For secondlife all you need is a geforce 7-series, you could probably play with settings relatively high after spending around $100 or so. You would need to find out whether you need PCI-Express, or AGP, then get the best 7-series with that connection that you can afford.
2007-05-16 05:39:31 · answer #2 · answered by krg427 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
For a desktop it is pretty easy.
You need to know if your system has an AGP slot or PCIe slot. If you look at your system specifications it should tell you.
If your current video is Intel, then it is probably onboard. This will be disabled when you add another video card.
As for how much, you can spend from $30 to $600+ on a video card. Get one that meets your requirements and you budget.
2007-05-16 05:30:27 · answer #3 · answered by Simon T 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The main thing you would need to know is if your video card is separate or integrated with your motherboard.
If it is integrated, you can't upgrade without changing motherboards and doing a bunch of other things that seem too complicated for you.
However, if it is separate, then upgrading a graphics card is as simple as unscrewing a couple screws and plugging in the new one. The cost can run from $65 to $400 depending on how powerful of a card you want.
Here are the system requirements to run SecondLife:
http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php
2007-05-16 05:14:08 · answer #4 · answered by paswa17 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋